ISF chief warns of politics' impact on Lebanon's security, stability

The General Director of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), Major General Imad Othman, confirmed that the security situation is under control. He warned, telling Asharq Al-Awsat about the impact of politics on security and stability in Lebanon, expressing concern for the state of the security forces.

This article was originally published in, translated from the Arab outlet of Asharq Al-Awsat.

Major General Imad Othman told Asharq Al-Awsat, "I sense a danger to the institution. There are those who target it because it upholds security in the country. I don't want to go into details, but there is direct and unjustified targeting of the security forces." 

He mentioned that the strongest motivation that keeps the security forces going is "its conviction that there are those who want to replace it, and there are those who want chaos instead of stability," adding, "Our lives are built on caution against the unknown."

Othman pointed out that "there are issues like security hotspots that are spreading in certain areas, taking on a military character, the Palestinian camps, and the occasional fighting that occurs within them," in addition to the Syrian refugee issue, with fears that "security concerns might escalate because of it."

Major General Othman continued, "There are many crimes linked to the Syrian presence. This poses pressure on the security forces and Lebanon's prison infrastructure, as the number of Syrian prisoners approaches a third of the total prisoners in Lebanon; 17.8 percent of those sentenced are Syrians, and 43 percent are detainees."